Short term and long term finance

The intensity of COVID-19 has initially “cooled down” in many nations around the world after the vaccination campaign has been deployed on a large scale. However, in some EU member states the situation remains serious and the EU is struggling to overcome the third wave of the pandemic. Contrary to the trend of easing social distancing, Hungary, France and the Czech Republic are the European countries tending to tighten prevention and control measures as the number of infections has increased recently. Statistics show that, while most Western European countries have recorded a declining or stable number of cases, about 100-200 per one million people per day, the figure is at around 300 in France and more than 600 in the Czech Republic.

French Health Minister Olivier Véran stated that in the next four to six weeks, France will maintain a nightly curfew and lockdown measures such as closing pubs, restaurants and museums, in a bid to protect the pandemic prevention and control efforts. Meanwhile, Gergely Gulyas, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff, said that Hungary has decided to extend a partial lockdown with infections expected to rise in the next two weeks. He highlighted that the next two weeks will be particularly difficult as the country must cope with the third COVID-19 wave. The Czech Republic and Hungary have taken measures to increase vaccine availability for the COVID-19 vaccination campaign amidst many opinions arguing that the EU’s licensing process is too slow. Relatively strict control measures in response to the pandemic have also been maintained in Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently emphasised that Germany is still in the third wave of the pandemic, while a local health official warned that without the maintenance of current measures, the third wave will be extremely difficult, and even uncontrollable.

A major problem currently facing the EU countries is that despite the complicated development of the pandemic, the progress of COVID-19 vaccine coverage in the bloc is quite slow. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen recently stated that 26 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been delivered and 70% of adults in 27 EU countries will be vaccinated by the end of this summer. However, she admitted the failure in the EU’s process of approving and implementing the COVID-19 vaccination program, noting that the bloc has learned lessons about the delay in the licensing of vaccines as well as the overoptimistic psychology of EU officials about the production and delivery progress of vaccines. If compared with the UK, which has left the “European common roof”, the EU’s vaccination progress is disappointing. While the EU is still struggling with the approval and implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination program, in February, about 30% of the UK population was vaccinated, thus creating a positive effect for the country’s important economic sectors.

To combat the pandemic and soon recover the economy, the European Commissioner for Health recently urged countries to speed up vaccination and accelerate the screening and decoding of the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence in service of the more detailed supervision of variants. The “EU family” is also expected to study the proposal for a digital vaccine passport (allowing people with a certificate of vaccination to travel freely) in order to facilitate intra-bloc travel and salvage the upcoming summer tourism season. However, this proposal is still under controversy which shows no sign of coming to an end. Meanwhile, the head of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Andrea Ammon warned the risk of SARS-CoV-2 being likely to persist for a long time despite the slowdown in global infection. According to her, the world needs to prepare for a scenario that the virus will still “stick to” people and experts may have to continue to produce vaccines to prevent the disease, similar to with the seasonal flu.

Given the emergence of more and more new variants of SARS-CoV-2 with a greater danger level, the possibility of having to “co-exist” with COVID-19 is increasing and this is a long-term challenge for the EU as well as for the whole of humanity. This fact is demanding the EU and other countries worldwide to take faster response in pandemic fight and adapt better and more flexibly to soon bring the economy out of the “dark period” caused by the pandemic.

The Japan Trade Promotion Organisation (JETRO) will host an online scheme on March 3 in Hanoi aimed at connecting Japanese businesses in the field of manufacturing and production, known as Monozukuri in Japanese term to facilitate co-operation amid the negative impacts caused the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a representative from the JETRO, the business matching programme will see the participation of 40 Japanese companies for the purpose of accelerating the development of the country’s supporting industry.

At present, the scheme has received registration for 50 negotiations from enterprises from Japan, Vietnam, and Taiwan (China), whilst it is still receiving registration from businesses wishing to purchase and seek Japanese suppliers in the Monozukuri field until March 1.

A recent survey conducted by the JETRO unveiled that Japanese businesses remain keen on the Vietnamese market as the country is viewed as an alternative investment destinations for Japanese enterprises looking to move away from China due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey indicates that approximately half of Japanese enterprises in the nation plan to expand their production activities, while roughly 70% of them seek opportunities to increase revenue in the local market.

Most notably, 46.8% of Japanese enterprises unveiled that they have initiated plans to expand their business in the nation over the course of the next two years, with the expansion rate ranking fourth, the highest in the Asia-Pacific region.

Japanese enterprises have therefore attributed their expansion to an increase in revenue in the domestic market and high growth potential.

Furthermore, Japanese firms are also considering re-establishing some supply chains which have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with Vietnam able to capture the attention of suppliers and buyers of materials globally.

VN-Index finishes lower as selling pressure weighs

Viet Nam’s stock market ended mixed on Thursday as the VN-Index continued its downward trend in the afternoon session while the HNX-Index reversed its morning course.

The market benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) finished at 1,168.52 points, down 1.55 per cent. The index posted a loss of 26.52 points, equivalent to 2.23 per cent, in the morning session.

Today’s result ended the index’s current movements that fell in the morning but still finished higher at the end of the session.

The market breadth stayed negative till the end of the session with 362 stocks falling, while 95 stocks climbed. And the market’s liquidity was high as VND16.8 billion was poured into the southern bourse, equivalent to a trading volume of over 673.4 million shares.

Rising selling pressure and trading issues made many big stocks across all sectors fall sharply today, with the VN30-Index, which tracks the performance of the 30 biggest stocks on HoSE, down 1.78 per cent to 1,174.29 points.

Besides Vingroup JSC (VIC) ending flat, the rest of the VN30 basket posted poor performance. In the morning session, VIC was the only stock in the basket to witness a gain.

Top five stocks dominating the market’s trend were in real estate, banking and materials sectors, including Vinhome JSC (VHM), down 1.48 per cent, Techcombank (TCB), down 3.22 per cent, JSC Bank For Investment And Development of Viet Nam (BID), down 2.4 per cent, Vietcombank (VCB), down 1.12 per cent and Vietnam Rubber Group – JSC (GVR), down 2.87 per cent.

Meanwhile, gains in stocks from materials, gas and oil, and fertiliser sectors helped limit the losses. Pomina Steel Corporation (POM) climbed 6.02 per cent, PetroVietnam Drilling & Well Services Corporation (PVD) rose 2.76 per cent, Duc Giang Chemicals Group JSC (DGC) rose 2.61 per cent, and Petro Viet Nam Ca Mau Fertiliser JSC (DCM) rose 2.51 per cent.

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX), the HNX-Index reversed the morning’s course, up 0.66 per cent to 255.77 points. Finishing the morning session, the HNX-Index dropped 0.48 per cent. The HNX30-Index also climbed 0.22 per cent to 376.42 points.

Nearly 176.1 million shares were traded on the northern market during the session, worth over VND2.79 trillion.

Foreign investors continue to net sell on HoSE and HNX. While the investors withdrew VND229.65 billion out of the southern market, they net sold a net value of VND13.51 billion on HNX.

Work on 15-million-USD textile factory underway in Tay Ninh

The Happytex Joint Stock Company began construction on March 4 of a 15-million-USD textile factory at the Trang Bang Industrial Park in the southern province of Tay Ninh.

Covering an area of 25,000 sq m, the factory is designed to produce 20 million sq m of woven fabric, or 2,000 tonnes, each year for export. Construction is scheduled for completion in six months.

Ha Van Cung, head of the Management Board of Economic Zones of Tay Ninh, said that since the beginning of this year local industrial parks and economic zones have attracted four projects, including three foreign-invested projects worth 373.12 million USD.

As of February, the province had attracted 364 investment projects, including 265 FDI and 99 domestically-invested projects with combined capital of over 8.3 billion USD, creating jobs for nearly 34,000 workers, according to Cung./.

Bamboo Airways resumes flights to Van Don Airport

Bamboo Airways has resumed flights linking HCM City with Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh, according to a representative from the hybrid carrier.

The route will see four round trips a week, which may increase depending on demand.

It earlier suspended flights to and from Van Don following the airport’s temporary closure to apply COVID-19 preventive measures.

A member of the airport’s security staff tested positive for the coronavirus in January.

Bamboo Airways will further expand its flight network, with new ones connecting the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho with Hai Phong, Da Nang, and Quy Nhon in Binh Dinh province.

The additions bring the number of routes to Can Tho to six.

It also plans to increase flight numbers to meet demand.

The carrier is offering various promotions to mark the upcoming International Women’s Day on March 8, with discounts for groups of at least two passengers booking tickets to Con Dao Island before March 7.

Passengers are asked to closely follow COVID-19 preventive measures./.

HCM City: Two-month foreign investment stands at 337.8 million USD

Ho Chi Minh City recorded 337.8 million USD of foreign investment registered during the first two months of 2021, equivalent to 70.3 percent of the figure in the same period last year.

Real estate attracted most of the sum, 145.1 million USD or 43 percent of the total. It was followed by science – technology (57.5 million USD, 17 percent) and processing – manufacturing industry (41 million USD, 12.1 percent), the municipal Department of Planning and Investment said.

The southern economic hub lured only three new foreign investment projects worth 115 million USD in January and February, it said, citing complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world as the reason.

Up to 99.7 percent of the new capital was channeled into real estate, with 29.6 percent from Singapore and 70.1 percent from the Netherlands.

From the year’s beginning to February 20, HCM City saw 22 existing projects have 53.3 million USD added to their registered capital.

Foreign investors also spent 169.5 million USD on capital contributions to or share purchase in local firms during the time, data showed./.

HCM City to meet yearly budget revenue targets

Ho Chi Minh City is likely to meet the year’s target for budget revenue of 365 trillion VND (15.86 billion USD) assigned by the central government, a city official said at a recent online Government meeting.

Vo Van Hoan, Vice Chairman of the city People’s Committee, said in the first two months, on average the city collected 2.9 trillion VND each day, which was higher than the average daily revenue.

In January, the city collected 40 trillion VND, up 2.9 percent year-on-year, he added.

To date it has collected 74,500 billion VND, accounting for more than 20 percent of the year’s target, up 10.5 percent year-on-year.

The Tax Department aims to collect at least 25 percent of the yearly budget revenue target in the first quarter.

The city’s retail sales of goods and services increased by 4.7 percent, while industrial production went up 6 percent in the first two months.

The city’s exports reached 8 billion USD, a rise of 25 percent year-on-year (three major exports with increased revenues are fertilisers, plastic materials and auto spare parts).

More than 3,800 enterprises resumed operation in the first two months (up 3 percent year-on-year). Some 700 enterprises completed dissolution procedures in the period (down 14.5 percent year-on-year).

However, the service sector, especially tourism and accommodations, which accounts for more than 60 percent of the city’s total budget revenue, has been hit hardest.

Tourism revenues decreased by 70 percent with accommodation services dropping by 14 percent. The outbreak has caused a significant decline in international visitors to the country, according to Hoan.

For pandemic prevention, the city has contained the infection hotspot at Tan Son Nhat international airport with 36 cases recorded since the end of January. The city has gone 20 days without any locally transmitted infections, he said.

Some non-essential services have gradually reopened. Students returned to school on March 1.

The city has ordered individuals and organisations to continue to strictly implement precautions against the virus. “The city is always ready for the worst pandemic scenario,” he said.

Regarding tasks for 2021, the city will continue to complete its dual goal of economic development and protection against the pandemic, according to Hoan.

It plans to develop more solutions to support enterprises and residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as part of its effort to revive business activities.

The city will also promote domestic tourism and strengthen linkages with other provinces.

It will continue to promote e-commerce, online businesses, non-cash payments for a digital economy, start-up creation and technological innovation, and commercialisation of research products./.

FPT Digital established

FPT Corporation recently established FPT Digital, specialising in providing digital transformation consulting services to businesses.

This is the ninth member company of FPT Corporation and was established with the aim of perfecting the digital transformation service ecosystem for corporate customers.

Its digital transformation consulting service covers three areas including comprehensive digital transformation consulting, digital human resource development consulting and information technology system development consulting.

Hoang Viet Anh, FPT’s deputy general director, will be chairman of FPT Digital and Tran Huy Bao Giang, FPT director on digital transformation, will be its general director.

FPT expects the establishment of FPT Digital to boost revenue in digital transformation consulting, create momentum for the development of technology consulting services.

Ninh Binh tourism ensuring pandemic prevention

The number of tourists visiting Ninh Binh were again down sharply at the beginning of this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure a safe tourism environment for tourists and local people, the province has thoroughly implemented measures to prevent and control any spread of the disease.

Other accommodation establishments, resorts, and tourist attractions in Ninh Binh have also raised the level of vigilance, strictly implementing pandemic prevention and control measures.

The Ninh Binh Department of Tourism has also asked tourism businesses to suspend tours to and from pandemic-hit areas, to ensure the safety of tourists and local people, and to proactively monitor and update developments of the disease so that appropriate prevention and control measures are taken.

The number of tourists to Ninh Binh last year fell about 80% compared to 2019 and difficulties persist for the tourism industry as a whole./.

Viet Nam’s automobile imports slow in January

Viet Nam spent US$213 million importing cars in January, a 34.3 per cent drop compared to the previous month, reports the General Department of Customs.

The main markets are Thailand with 4,341 units, China (1,463 units) and Indonesia (1,437 units), accounting for 87 per cent of the country’s total imported cars.

Nine-seater passenger vehicles or passenger cars of under nine seats are 5,203 units worth nearly $102 million, accounting for 62.4 per cent.

The number of vehicles with less than nine seats imported dropped by 27.4 per cent in January or a decrease of 1,965 units compared to December 2020.

For transport vehicles, the import volume stood at 2,230 units worth $60.6 million, down 48.6 per cent in volume and 40.9 per cent in value compared to December. January also saw an import volume of 907 special use vehicles valued at $50 million. Of this figure, 736 units were imported from China via the northern border gate of Lang Son of Viet Nam, accounting for 81 per cent of the total number of this type imported into the country.

For auto components and spare parts, the report said value reached $385 million, a $142 million drop compared to $527 million in December last year.

The main markets supplying auto components for Viet Nam are South Korea, China, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Germany,and Malaysia. In which, imports from South Korea reached $114 million; China ($73.3 million), Thailand ($59.4 million) , Japan ($58 million), India ($23.3 million) and Indonesia ( $15 million).

Auto parts and spare parts imports reached $344 million, accounting for 89 per cent of the total import value of auto parts and spare parts of the country in the past month.

Viet Nam’s localisation rate for passenger cars of under nine seats is 7–10 per cent, much lower than the target of 35–45 per cent set for the car industry 20 years ago.

Viet Nam’s automobile market currently ranks fourth in Southeast Asia in sales volume and domestic production capacity, according to ASEAN Automotive Federation (AAF).

With nearly 300,000 cars sold in 2020, Viet Nam overtook the Philippines to become the fourth largest automobile market in Southeast Asia.

The AAF complied the data provided by automobile associations from countries in the region, except for Timor Leste, Laos and Cambodia.

In 2020, the region posted a combined sales volume of new vehicles at 2,453,808, down 29 per cent year-on-year due to impacts of COVID-19.

Brunei became the only ASEAN member country to post an increase in car sales from January to November last year.

It said economic activities across the region were severely disrupted by business and social lockdowns imposed to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The automobile industry was one of the worst-affected markets in the region last year.

Motor vehicles sold in ASEAN declined 29 per cent to 2.45 million units from January till November 2020 from 3.46 million units in the previous year.

Tourism picks up in HCM City

Travel firms in HCM City have reported an increasing number of people starting to book tours again.

Pham Phu Quy, director of Kiwi Travel, said they had prepared to relaunch several tours for small groups of tourists to nearby provinces and cities like Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

“We have seen the return of small groups of friends, family members and co-workers. HCM City have controlled the outbreak well and many localities no longer ban people who are from HCM City,” he said.

TST Tourist have organised a tour to Phu Quoc for the first group of tourists since the Tet Holiday ended.

The Vietnam Tourism Trends in 2021 Report by Outbox Consulting Company showed that small group tours will be the new trends to cope with safe distancing rules in various places in the context of Covid-19. A regular group often consisted of 20-30 tourists. However, tour firms have organised tours for groups of less than 10 people and tours for people who want to drive their own cars to localities that are adjacent to HCM City.

Firms will have to be more creative with small groups. Firms can organise tours to more remote locations, bike tours or mountain climbing tours. Ensuring social distancing will be the top priority for many firms when they design new tours to attract customers. People will want to travel somewhere closer to their homes and not too crowded.

According to Outbox Consulting, firms must have detailed planning and diverse plans to meet new customer demands.

Vietnam sees rising vegetables and fruit exports to Thailand

Vietnam agricultural products exported to Thailand have increased sharply in the first months of 2021.

Statistics from the Department of Agro-Processing and Market Development show that total fruit and vegetable export revenue in January was USD260m, a decrease of 7.6% compared to the same period last year.

China continues to be the biggest importer of Vietnamese fruit and vegetable with USD147m worth of products. The US is in second place with USD16.3m, Japan and South Korea followed with USD10.5m and USD9.2m, respectively.

More notably, the total export revenue to Thailand has been on the rise. Vietnam often had an import surplus of fruit and vegetables from Thailand but the situation changed in 2020 when Vietnam exported USD157m worth of vegetables and fruits to Thailand, an increase of 209.7% compared to 2019.

Vietnam imported USD78m worth of vegetables and fruits from Thailand in 2020, a huge decrease from 2019’s USD487m worth of products. In December 2020, Vietnam imported USD8.5m and exported USD8.2m worth of products from Thailand.

In January, Vietnam imported USD7.2m worth of products from Thailand and exported USD16.2m worth of products. The majority of the products exported to Thailand are dragon fruits, mango, longan and litchi.

Businesses urged to change mindset to overcome COVID-19 challenges

Amid complicated developments by the COVID-19 pandemic, local textile and apparel firms have been forced to change their business mindset, boost connectivity, expand into new markets, and maximise the benefits from free trade agreements (FTAs) to meet this year’s export target of US$39 billion, according to insiders.

Despite challenges caused by COVID-19, Vietnam raked in approximately US$2.6 billion from garment and textile exports  in January, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.3%, with some products recording high growth rates of between 9.3% and 35.6%.

Nguyen Xuan Duong, chairman of the Board of Directors of Hung Yen Garment Corporation (Hugaco), said that domestic textile businesses are anticipated to encounter numerous difficulties moving forward due to a shortage of export orders and cash flow, thereby making it tough to maintain production activities whilst ensuring the jobs of workers.

Le Tien Truong, chairman of the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex), said that outsourcing costs will decrease significantly due to the trend of simple goods being replaced by fashion products this year, adding that firms should be flexible in altering their business strategies in order to adapt to market fluctuations and seize upon new opportunities.

Than Duc Viet, general director of Garment Corporation 10, revealed that the cancellation of export orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic has made the company draw up a number of fresh strategies aimed at increasing its competitive advantages.

In line with this, the business has turned to export fabric and medical masks, protective suits, knitwear, as well as small orders that have a high value and short production period.

Viet stated that the group will focus on surveying the market, whilst selecting suitable export products, enhancing workers’ skills, and increasing labour productivity in an effort to boost exports in the near future.

Tran Nhu Tung, vice chairman of the Board of Directors of Thanh Cong Textile Garment Investment Trading JSC, said the company has received a sufficient amount of orders until the end of the first quarter, with the prospect of new orders ahead during the year’s second quarter.

Tung also revealed that the company has initiated plans to begin construction of another factory in Hoa Phu Industrial Park in the southern province of Vinh Long with an estimated capacity of 12 million products annually, with estimated revenue from the EU market set to see a double-digit increase.

With a complete production procedure from yarn, weaving, dyeing, and sewing, the group is anticipated to enjoy preferential tariffs in line with the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) regulations.

Udmurtia keen on boosting bilateral trade with Vietnam

He noted that Udmurtia is running a trade surplus with Vietnam, with its exports accounting for up to 70% of the total value, mostly metal and forestry products, cellulose and papers. Meanwhile, Vietnam has mainly shipped consumer goods to Udmurtia.

While expressing his interest in Vietnamese coffee, Suntsov said Udmurtia’s Tasty Coffee company accounts for about one-third of Russia’s coffee market share.

According to the official, Udmurtia already exported military technical products, metal and wooden products and medical equipment to Vietnam, and plans to ship more farm produce, light chemical industry products and IT services.

At an online trade promotion forum held in late 2020, Udmurtia introduced unmanned aerial vehicles, medical equipment, food colouring products, bleaches used in agriculture and farm produce to Vietnamese partners.

Mentioning important points in the Russia-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership, he said the two nations already signed a free trade agreement, thereby raising two-way trade to US$6 billion in 2018.

He also praised Vietnam for its natural, art and cultural beauty which he felt during his visits to Hanoi, Sa Pa and Ha Long Bay in 2015.

On its capacity as rotating ASEAN Chair in 2020, Vietnam well performed its role in assisting other regional member states in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, Suntsov said.

In his opinion, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, signed in 2020, will become a bridge between Russia and Southeast Asia.

As Vietnam is really a bridge between Russia and ASEAN, Udmurtia will also take advantage of that, he said.

Udmurtia is a federal subject of the Russian Federation within the Volga Federal District. Industry now accounts for over 45% of Udmurtia’s economic structure. Its enterprises also manufacture equipment for nuclear power plants, medical and oil-gas equipment, metal and plastic products. Agriculture is also an important priority of its development.

Vietnam manufacturing returns to growth in February

February data pointed to an overall improvement in the health of the Vietnamese manufacturing sector, according to latest survey by IHS Markit.

The Vietnam Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) ticked up to 51.6 in February from 51.3 in January, signalling a modest improvement in business conditions. The health of the sector has now strengthened in three successive months.

Sustained growth of new orders was recorded, helping to drive the improvement in overall business conditions. New work has now increased in six successive months. Total new orders were supported by a return to growth of new export business amid some signs of improving international demand.

Rising new orders was the main factor behind a return to growth of manufacturing production. The slight increase was also partly attributed to efforts to build stocks of finished goods. These efforts were successful in bringing an end to a four-month sequence of falling post-production inventories.

Employment increased for the second time in three months as firms responded to rises in demand and production requirements. This enhanced capacity meant that firms were able to keep on top of workloads and reduced outstanding business again. A renewed expansion of buying activity was also recorded, but stocks of purchases continued to fall amid the use of inputs to support production.

Problems securing raw materials also contributed to falling stocks of purchases. Suppliers’ delivery times lengthened sharply again. Difficulties sourcing goods from abroad due to a lack of shipping containers and global demand for materials outpacing supply continued to cause longer lead times.

These imbalances led to a further sharp increase in input costs in February. Although the rate of inflation eased to a three-month low, the rise in input prices was still faster than the average seen across the 10-year survey so far.

Manufacturers responded to higher input costs by raising their own selling prices accordingly. That said, the rate of inflation was modest and the slowest since last November.

Business confidence continued to wane in February, dropping for the third month running to the lowest since August 2020. Sentiment was hit by concerns over the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. That said, firms remained optimistic on balance, with hopes that the pandemic will be brought under control over the coming year supporting confidence.

Commenting on the latest survey results, Andrew Harker, economics director at IHS Markit, said that, “The latest IHS Markit Vietnam Manufacturing PMI signalled that the sector made further modest progress in February. Renewed increases in output, employment, and purchasing activity are all welcome signs, but a recent increase in COVID-19 cases sounds a note of caution. In fact, confidence among firms slumped to the lowest since August 2020, the last time a significant outbreak of the pandemic was seen.”

“Previously, Vietnam has proved successful in quickly suppressing the virus, and should this be the case again, we will hopefully see the manufacturing sector remain in growth territory. IHS Markit currently forecasts a rise in industrial production of 6.8 per cent this year,” he added.

Dong Nai needs 40,000 laborers

The Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs in the Southern Province of Dong Nai has just announced businesses in the province need around 40,000 laborers after Tet holiday ( the Lunar New Year).

Amongst businesses needing 40,000 employees, Prowell Vietnam Company in Long Khanh Industrial Park with available 5,000 laborers needs to recruit more than 3,000 workers as it planned to expand production meanwhile Kowide Outdoor in Suoi Tre Industrial Park needs additional 300 unskilled and skilled workers.

To attract laborers, companies proposed bonus policies and fee support policies. For instance, Hyosung Vietnam in Nhon Trach Industrial Park 1 proposed to offer VND2.4 million (US$104.6) to new employees for the first year of working in the company.

Moreover, the company will give VND800,000 as bonus to those who take their relatives to work in the company. Additionally, workers will have a saving account of VND15.8 million after working for the company in three consecutive years.

Presently, businesses have been bumping into difficulties in recruiting employees; therefore, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has opened employment fairs to help connect laborers with businesses.

Hanoi industrial production expands 7.5% in Jan-Feb

Manufacturing and processing, which accounts for 96.5% of total production value in the industry sector, expanded 7.8% year-on-year between January and February.

Hanoi’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) in the first two months of 2021 expanded by 7.5% year-on-year, according to the municipal Statistics Office.

Upon breaking down, the mining industry’s output decreased by 9.8% year-on-year in the January-February period, but posed little impact to the overall growth due to its modest contribution to the economy. The manufacturing and processing industry, accounting for 96.5% of total production value in the industry sector, expanded 7.8%.

Production and distribution of electricity rose 5.8% year-on-year while water supply, sewage treatment and water collection went up 5.7%.

Subsectors that increased sharply due to growing demand during the period include computers and electronic products (up 37.7% year-on-year); transportation vehicles (17.5%); electricity equipment (16.5%); and beverage (14.3%).

According to the report, the employment at industrial companies decreased by 0.6% year-on-year during the two-month period. That of state-run sector was down by 1%; that of the private sector contracted 4.8%, while jobs in the foreign-invested sector rose by 2.8%.

In terms of economic sectors, the employment in manufacturing and processing sector slightly rose 0.1% year-on-year; followed by electricity production and distribution (-0.1%); water supply, sewage treatment and water collection (-0.6%); and mining (-47.7%).

In the January – February period, Hanoi’s exports slightly rose by 12.7% year-on-year to US$2.34 billion, and imports surged 25.7% to US$5.4 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of US$3.06 billion.

Export items that recorded strong growth in the first two months were computers, electronic products and parts with US$409 million, up 39.4% year-on-year; machinery and equipment with US$341 million (33.3%); wood and wooden products with US$116 million (42.9%).

The city’s state budget revenue dwindled 3.4% year-on-year to VND51.4 trillion (US$2.22 billion), or 20.4% of the year’s estimate.

Meanwhile, Hanoi spent VND9.04 trillion (US$390.7 million) during the period, or 8.3% of the estimate and up 1.5% year-on-year.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) commitments to Hanoi in the year to February 23 hit US$58.9 million. The investors registered to pour US$14 million into 28 fresh projects, and an additional US$4.1 million into nine existing projects. They have also injected US$40.8 million to acquire stakes or contribute capital in local companies.

Around 3,400 enterprises were established during the two-month period with registered capital of VND36.6 trillion (US$1.58 billion), down 8% in the number of enterprises and 54% in capital year-on-year. The number of enterprises temporarily suspending operations during the period rose sharply by 22% year-on-year to 4,300, while 3,400 resumed operations, up 101%.

The consumer price index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, climbed 1.8% month-on-month in February and 1.75% versus last December. This resulted in an average decline of 0.5% year-on-year in the first two months of this year.

While the Covid-19 outbreak in northern provinces and cities near the Tet holiday has caused negative impacts on consumer spending nationwide, total retail sales of consumer goods and services in Hanoi in the two-month period remained positive with a 5% year-on-year growth to VND100 trillion (US$4.32 billion).

Bilateral trade between UK and Vietnam enhanced thanks to UKVFTA

The initial results of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement promise to continue creating new impetus for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries in the coming time.

Since the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) took effect on January 1, the bilateral trade turnover between the two countries has recorded a spectacular rise in the context of exports disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, in January, the total trade turnover between Vietnam and the UK reached US$657.3 million, up 78.6% over the same period last year.

Vietnam’s exports to the UK reached US$598 million worth of goods, up 84.6% compared to last January and 56.5% to last December.

Among Vietnam’s exports to the UK,  farm produce attained stable and positive growth in January, with seafood reaching US$19.7 million, representing a rise of 18.1% over the same period last year, and vegetables and fruits with US$1 million, increasing 148.6%.

Vietnamese shipments to the UK get opportunities to rise drastically and expand market share thanks to many tariff preferential treatment under the agreement, according to the MoIT.

Under the trade deal, more than 94% of the total 547 tariff lines of vegetable and fruit will be reduced to zero. Many Vietnamese key products such as litchi, longan, rambutan, dragon fruit, pineapple and melon will have more market access advantages over tropical fruits originating from rivals such as Brazil, Thailand and Malaysia, the countries that have not signed an FTA with the UK.

Shipments of the group of processing and manufacturing industries to the UK achieved an impressive growth in January such as phones and components (up 371.6% over the same period last year), followed by machinery, equipment and spare parts (109.9%), computers and electronic components (91%); iron and steel of all kinds (11%).

In 2020, the bilateral trade reached US$5.64 billion in value, in which Vietnam exported goods worth US$4.95 billion to the UK and enjoyed a trade surplus of US$4.27 billion. The UK continued to be the third largest trading partner of Vietnam in Europe, behind Germany and the Netherlands.

Local businesses face risks of disruption under Covid-19 outbreak

Many businesses are in shortage of workforce after a long-break Tet holiday, as travel remains restricted between different localities.

A prolonged Covid-19 in a number of provinces and cities is putting local businesses under serious stress to avoid disruption of operations.

The Private Economic Development Research Board (Board IV) revealed the information following its quick survey with 12 business associations from February 19-22.

In the survey, the majority of respondents said they forecast the Covid-19 pandemic to stay in long-term and have adjusted their operations to better cope with the situation.

However, businesses are facing some common problems, including shortage of workers after a long-break Tet holiday as travel remains restricted between different localities.

The Covid-19 pandemic also causes severe impacts on the transportation sector, in which many transport companies are operating at 20-30% of their capacity.

In recent days, movements of goods from and out of Hai Duong province, the country’s pandemic hotspot, to other localities have been stalled, impacting supply and production chains of various industrial parks.

This came at the fact that drivers from Hai Duong are not allowed to leave the province, while those from outside do not want to enter on fear of Covid-19, or some Covid-19 checkpoints stop drivers from Hai Duong to go through.

Strict anti-Covid-19 measures adopted by Hai Duong’s neighboring cities/provinces, especially in Hai Phong, have led to a stagnation of sale and distribution of farm produce from Hai Duong, including the transportation of such products to Hai Phong port for exports.

A report from Hai Duong Automobile Transportation Association noted in case hurdles for transportation of Hai Duong farm produce are not removed until early March 2021, the financial damage would be around VND400 billion (US$17.3 million).

“Transportation firms not allowed to enter Hai Phong are forced to seek different routes and thus it incurs additional costs, making it harder for enterprises as they are still struggling with Covid-19 impacts,” noted the Board IV.

Chairman of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform Truong Gia Binh said while social distancing and other safety measures have affected demand for farm produce, the lack of empty containers for exports remain the biggest concern for local traders.

“The business community seeks greater support from local authorities in working with shipping  firms to resolve the situation and prevent unreasonable surge of container shipping rates,” Binh added.

To resolves these issues, Board IV cited recommendations from business associations calling for authorities in Hai Phong and Hai Duong to set up a “buffer zone” to apply safety measures for drivers, trucks and goods; change truck drivers upon entering certain province/city.

“Regarding the transportation of goods from Hai Duong to Hai Phong port, the government could set up a specialized transport corridor to avoid disruption of supply chains,” Board IV stated.

According to Board IV, the government could consider lowering transportation fees on expressways as transport firms are forced to change their routes.

Tan Son Nhat airport to serve 50 million passengers a year by 2030

The Ministry of Transport has approved the addition of a weather surveillance radar station to the detailed plan to expand HCM City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport to both the north and south to serve 50 million passengers per year by 2030.

Under the adjusted plan, the Doppler Weather Radar station will be built on an area of 1,600 square metres to the north of the airport. A multi-storey car park will also be built, which will be connected to a new passenger terminal to be built soon.

Under the plan, the airport will cover a total area of 791ha, an increase of 250ha compared to the existing airport area of 545ha.

About 19ha of military defence land has been handed over for building aircraft parking aprons.

The additional land of 250ha includes 18ha of additional national defence land, 35ha of land in the southern area, and 171ha of land in the northern area of the airport.

An additional eight taxiways will be built to expedite aircraft take-offs and landings.

At least 56 aprons will be added in front of the new passenger terminal T3 and in the southwest area of the airport, increasing the total number of aprons to 106.

In the northern area of the airport, a reservoir with an advanced pumping station to prevent flooding will also be built.

In addition, roads connecting to the airport will be built as soon as possible under the city’s transport plan.

To ensure the progress of the expansion plan, priority will be given to the construction of a new international terminal T3.

According to a proposal by the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the third passenger terminal with a total investment of more than 11.43 trillion VND (494.4 million USD) will be built in the south of the airport. ACV will invest in building the new terminal, using 100 percent of its corporate capital.

The existing passenger terminals T1 and T2 will be expanded to accommodate an additional 30 million passengers per year by 2030.

The new terminal capable of handling 20 million passengers per year will take 43 months to build, according to ACV.

In total, the airport is expected to have a total capacity of up to 50 million passengers per year by 2030.

Tan Son Nhat, the country’s busiest airport, has been seriously overloaded, both on the ground and in the air for years, forcing many flights to wait in the air to land.

In a related issue, work began early this year on the Long Thanh International Airport in the neighbouring province of Dong Nai, expected to ultimately handle 60-70 million passengers per year. It’s expected to ease the overloading at Tan Son Nhat airport.

However, the huge airport will not be completed until at least 2025 because of “a lack of capital and slow compensation progress,” experts have warned.

Tan Son Nhat will remain the main airport hub in the southern region even after Long Thanh airport becomes operational./.

State budget collection tops nearly 9.57 billion USD in first two months

State budget collection was estimated at 220.5 trillion VND (nearly 9.57 billion USD) in the first two months, equivalent to 16.4 percent of the year’s estimate, according to the General Statistics Office.

Collection from domestic revenue reached 194.1 trillion VND, or 17.1 percent of the estimate, while that from crude oil 3.2 trillion VND, equivalent to 13.8 percent.

Budget balance stood at 22.7 trillion VND in the period, hitting 12.7 percent of the estimate.

Collection from State-owned enterprises was 23.3 trillion VND, or 15.7 percent of the estimate, while 41 trillion VND came from the private sector, excluding crude oil firms.

Collection from industrial and trade charges and services fees contributed 55.2 trillion VND, or 23.2 percent of the estimate.

Meanwhile, budget expenditure was estimated at 148.4 trillion VND in the two months, equivalent to 8.8 percent of the year’s estimate. Of the figure, regular spending valued at 103 trillion VND while investment at nearly 27 trillion VND.

More than 1.48 quadrillion VND was collected for the State budget in 2020, or 98 percent of the target, according to the Ministry of Finance./.

Trade surplus from agro-forestry-fisheries hit 1.37 mln USD in two months

Import-export value of agro-forestry-fisheries products hit nearly 11 billion USD in the first two months of 2021, resulting in 1.37 million USD in trade surplus, up 28.4 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

The ministry reported that a year-on-year rise was recorded in the export value of many products such as rubber, tea, cashew, vegetables and fruit and forestry products.

In the first two months of this year, the US remained the largest market of Vietnamese agro-forestry-fisheries products with 2.04 billion USD, up 57.3 percent year on year and accounting for 33.05 percent of the market share. It was followed by China, ASEAN, the EU, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

The export value of aquatic products reached 405 million USD in February, pushing the figure in the first two months of 2021 to over 1 billion USD, up 2.2 percent over the same period last year, reported the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

According to the association, exports of tra fish saw positive signals since the beginning of this year after consecutive drops in 2020, with a 1.7 percent rise in the first two months of 2021 to 214 million USD.

In January, excepting for China and the EU, upturn was seen in the majority of markets of Vietnamese tra fish, including the US with 51 percent, Mexico 73 percent, Australia 45 percent and Canada 42 percent. Other markets such as Brazil, Colombia, the UK and Russia also experienced an increase of 37-129 percent.

Meanwhile, shrimp export in February was estimated at 160 million USD, down 18 percent year on year, resulting in over 380 million USD in the first two months of 2021, a slight annual fall of 0.8 percent.

At the same time, seafood exports rose 31.4 percent to 264 million USD in January but dropped 21 percent to 156 million USD in February, resulting in the two-month export value of 420 million USD, up 5.5 percent.

The VASEP said that in the first two months of this year, exports of Vietnamese aquatic products were affected by demands of markets amidst COVID-19 pandemic.

The association forecast that aquatic export value in March will reach about 640 million USD, up 1.5 percent over the same period last year thanks to high demand in the US, EU and members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)./.

Can Tho waste-to-power plant adds 113 million kWh to national grid

The Can Tho waste-to-power plant in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has treated over 400,000 tonnes of household waste and contributed more than 113 million kWh to the national grid since its operation in December 2018.

Can Tho is now home to four solid waste treatment sites in suburban Co Do and Thoi Lai districts, and urban O Mon and Thot Not districts.

About 70 percent of the city’s daily household waste, or nearly 350 tonnes, are burned using international-standard technology by China Everbright Group.

The plant is operated by Can Tho EB Environmental Energy Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of the investor – the China Everbright Group.

General Director of the Can Tho EB Environmental Energy Co. Ltd Chen Wei said the project is the first in Vietnam invested by the China Everbright Group to receive an environment protection certificate.

The municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment reported that as of late 2020, 98 percent of household waste in urban areas were collected, 75 percent of them were classified in households.

Deputy Director of the department Nguyen Chi Kien said the department will continue working with the Can Tho EB Environmental Energy, and the districts of Co Do, Thoi Lai, O Mon and Thot Not to collect, transport and treat wastes. It will also periodically review and update the master plan on household solid waste transportation in the city till 2025 with a vision to 2050.

At a conference to launch the department’s tasks in 2021, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thuc Hien asked the department to continue inspecting waste treatment plants to raise their sense of responsibility and deal with problems at the O Mon and Co Do landfills./.

Binh Duong secures 301.5 million USD in FDI in two months

Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to the southern province of Binh Duong during January-February topped 301.5 million USD, a year-on-year increase of 63 percent, the provincial People’s Committee said on March 2.

Thirteen projects were granted investment registration certificates in the period, with total registered capital of 254 million USD. Meanwhile, two projects registered to add 3.5 million USD to their existing operation.

As much as 44 million USD was injected to 21 projects in the locality through capital contribution.

To date, the southern industrial hub has housed 3,948 FDI projects with total capital of 35.8 billion USD.

It is not only one of leading localities in FDI attraction but also an attractive destination for domestic investments. The province lured more than 8.65 trillion VND (377.5 million USD) from domestic investors in the first two months of the year./.

Volume of containers through Ba Ria-Vung Tau seaports up 21 percent

Seaports in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau handled nearly 766,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the first two months of 2021, rising 21 percent from the same time last year.

According to the Maritime Administration of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, the total volume of goods through local seaports reached more than 11.9 million tonnes in the period, a year-on-year surge of 4 percent.

Head of the provincial Customs Department Tran Van Danh said that the province gained over 1.7 billion USD in import-export turnover during January-February, up 32.7 percent year-on-year, describing this a robust achievement of the province in carrying out the dual tasks of pandemic prevention and economic development at the local seaports.

Realising the significance of the local seaports to the economic development in the province and the southern region as a whole, competent authorities such as customs, border guard, healthcare, transport and maritime administration joined hands to put the COVID-19 outbreak under control, while creating the best conditions for ships to load and unload cargo.

In 2020, the volume of container cargo through the seaports topped 4.3 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 20 percent. The local seaports handled a total 107.6 million tonnes of goods in the year.

The province is now housing 69 seaport projects, which were zoned off on a total area of 2,528 hectares. Of the total, 48 projects are operating, with a designed capacity of handling 141.5 million tonnes of goods per year./.

Only one Vietnamese remains in Sabeco’s management board

The Saigon Beer-Alcohol- Beverage Corporation (Sabeco) has relieved Hoang Dao Hiep from the post of deputy general director of the firm, which means Sabeco now has only one Vietnamese leader–Lam Du An, deputy general director in charge of techniques and production–in its management board.

Besides An, the firm’s management board currently has three foreign members comprising general director Neo Gim Siong Bennett and deputy general directors Teo Hong Keng and Ng Kuan Ngee Melvyn. All of them are linked to the Thai Beverage Public Company Limited (ThaiBev).

ThaiBev spent US$5 billion acquiring a 53.59% stake in Sabeco through the Vietnam Beverage Co., Ltd in 2017.

Since then, the senior executives of ThaiBev have been nominated to the management boards of Sabeco and its subsidiaries. For example, Neo Gim Siong Bennett, in addition to holding the post of Sabeco general director, is now chairman of Saigon Beer Western JSC and a member of the board of Chuong Duong Beverages JSC.

As for Sabeco’s performance in 2020, its revenue plunged 26% over 2019 to VND28.1 trillion due to the Government’s Decree 100 strictly banning drink-driving and the Covid-19 pandemic. However, its after-tax profit reached VND4.9 trillion, exceeding its target by over 50%.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes

Traffic congestion on Cong Hoa road

The Ho Chi Minh City management board for traffic works construction and investment has urged early completion of paperwork for construction on a road linking Tran Quoc Hoan and Cong Hoa roads to begin in December.

Costing more than 4.84 trillion VND (211.2 million USD), the project is slated to complete in July 2023, in conjunction with the completion of the Tan Son Nhat international airport’s Terminal 3

The project, approved in December 2019, includes the building of a six-lane 4km road, an intersection tunnel, and a 1,200m overpass in front of the Terminal 3.

Apart from the project, the city also conducting procedures to implement the expansion of Hoang Hoa Tham road and upgrading of Cong Hoa road around the Tan Son Nhat airport. The construction of both projects was initially set to begin in 2020 but it was delayed due to problems in site clearance./.

No COVID-19 infections logged on March 4 morning

Vietnam documented no COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours to 6:00 am on March 4, keeping the national tally unchanged at 2,482 patients with 1,566 domestically-transmitted cases, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

The country has 51,572 people who came in close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-hit areas under quarantine nationwide, including 533 at hospitals, 13,776 at other quarantine sites, and 37,263 at home.

Among the patients under treatment, 66 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 37 twice, and 113 thrice.

The Treatment Sub-committee said that 1,898 patients have been declared clear of the coronavirus so far.

In a bid to live safely with the pandemic, people should strictly follow the Ministry of Health’s 5K message: khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering) and khai bao y te (health declaration)./.

Vietnam Airlines resumes HCM City – Van Don flights

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines resumed flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh on March 3, the same day the airport was allowed to reopen after local COVID-19 outbreaks were put under control.

Flights from HCM City take off at 1:00pm and those from Van Don 3:45pm. All are operated on Airbus A321 with four-star services.

From March 3 to 17, one weekly flight will ply the route between the two destinations, on Wednesdays. Flight numbers will be increased to three a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, from March 18 until the end of the year.

The resumption of the HCM City – Van Don flights is expected to help boost tourism in Quang Ninh and neighbouring provinces, said a representative from Vietnam Airlines, adding that the airline will cooperate with Quang Ninh to adopt measures to stimulate travel demand and revive local economy.

Vietnam Airlines launched the HCM City – Van Don air route in December 2018.

Van Don International Airport was temporarily shut down on January 29 after an airport security staff was confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus./.

Vietnam attending 52nd session of UN Statistical Commission

A report on national accounts was among the items presented by the General Statistics Office of Vietnam (GSO) at the ongoing 52nd session of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC), GSO Director General Nguyen Thi Huong said.

According to Huong, the GSO has initially applied the System of National Accounts 2008 (2008 SNA), which is the latest version of the SNA adopted by the commission. This year, the office will implement a series of activities on national accounts, including the issuance of a guidebook on the classification of institutional sectors applicable to Vietnam’s statistics sector.

At the session, the GSO is also set to deliver a presentation concerning a report on the UN Committee of Experts on Business and Trade Statistics.

Huong said Vietnam supports orientations for changes to the manual on international merchandise trade statistics. The country requests the UN soon send its detailed plan for such changes to member nations and develop a related questionnaire to collect feedback.

Besides, the the GSO is also set to have a presentation to the high-level group for partnership, coordination and capacity-building regarding statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Founded in 1947, the Statistical Commission consists of 24 UN member countries elected by the UN Economic and Social Council on the basis of equitable geographical distribution.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this 52nd session is being held in a scaled-down virtual format, consisting of four two-hour informal meetings from March 1 to 3 and on March 5./.

Vietnam’s youngest heart transplant patient discharged from hospital

Seven-year-old L.X.H, the youngest-ever heart transplant recipient in Vietnam, has been discharged from hospital, the Hanoi-based Viet Duc Hospital said on March 3.

Before the surgery, the child, weighing only 16 kg, suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy and end-stage heart failure.

The patient received the heart from a 19-year-old brain-dead donor, with the surgery conducted on February 1.

The child’s mother thanked the family of the donor who, she said, has given her child a new life, and the dedication of doctors and nurses of the hospital.

This is the fifth heart transplant performed on a child at the hospital.

Viet Duc has performed five lung, 36 heart, 92 liver, and nearly 1,100 kidney transplants in total so far.

It is the leading centre nationwide for collecting and transplanting organs. All patients are healthy and have returned to daily living.

In March 2017, a 10-year-old boy in Hanoi became the smallest heart transplant patient at that time. After getting the heart from a brain-dead donor, he is now in a stable condition./.

HCMC metro’s driving instructor to receive salary of over VND500 million

Foreign experts providing training to drive the trains of HCMC’s first metro line, which connects the landmark Ben Thanh Market in downtown HCMC and the Suoi Tien Theme Park in District 9, would be paid a salary of over VND500 million each.

The salary was among the outcomes of the negotiation between the Management Authority for Urban Railways of HCMC (MAUR), which is the project’s investor, and NJPT, which is the project’s consulting unit, on signing the annex of Contract No.19 for the metro line.

MAUR suggested that the head expert receive 2.5 million Japanese yen per month, equal to some VND542 million, and other experts be paid 2.35 million Japanese yen, or VND509 million.

According to the investor, these are the lowest salary levels earmarked for foreign experts under an original contract that it signed with NJPT in 2007. Also, the salary amounts are equivalent to those of a project in Indonesia’s Jakarta and approved by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which is the project’s sponsor.

For local experts who will teach the driving, the investor suggested the deployment of a lump sum contract. Besides this, the costs to organize driving tests for 58 metro drivers who are joining a training course to drive the trains will be worked out before the tests take place.

Aside from salaries for driving instructors, MAUR suggested the foreign experts of NJPT each receive an allowance of 11,500 Japanese yen per day, or some VND2.5 million. This amount is lower than NJPT’s previously suggested figure of 12,000 Japanese yen.

Seven new COVID-19 cases found on March 3 afternoon

Vietnam reported seven new COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours to 6pm of March 3, including two imported ones in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang and five found in the northern province of Hai Duong.

According to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the imported cases were sent to quarantine immediately on February 28 after entering Kien Giang through the Ha Tien border gate. They are being treated at a medical centre in Ha Tien city.

Meanwhile, the five patients in Hai Duong were diagnosed positive for SARS-CoV-2 while undertaking quarantine at concentrated sites.

So far, the national count of COVID-19 cases has reached 2,482, including 1,566 domestically-transmitted cases.

The committee’s treatment sub-committee said a total of 1,898 patients have recovered so far.

Among active patients, 66 have tested for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, 37 twice and 113 thrice.

Meanwhile, 59,081 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or came from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine nationwide, with 540 in hospitals, 13,424 in State-designated quarantine establishments, and 45,117 at home./.

Foreign arrivals decline by 99.1% over two months

Vietnam just welcomed a total of 28,700 foreign arrivals over the first two months of the year, representing a huge drop of 99.1% in comparison to the same period from 2020, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

The number of foreign arrivals reached 11,000 in February alone, down by 38.3% from January’s figures.

The GSO attributed the sharp fall to the serious impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the resurgence of the virus in January, on the tourism industry.

The majority of foreign arrivals in the reviewed period were experts, technical workers, and drivers who transported goods on roads through border gates, according to the GSO.

In a recent report produced by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), this year is likely to prove extremely challenging for the local tourism industry. Vietnam has yet to reopen its borders to international tourists due to COVID-19, therefore the number of foreign arrivals will remain low in the coming months.

Though Vietnam represents one of the bright spots for effectively controlling the spread of COVID-19, the local tourism industry has been greatly impacted by the pandemic.

Relic sites, sightseeing spots, and entertainment areas nationwide have been forced to shut down several times, with many travel agencies finding it difficult to do business amid COVID-19 fears.

The VNAT has recently carried out domestic travel stimulus schemes aimed at boosting online tourism advertisement through social networks, including YouTube, with the aim of helping the local tourism industry to recover in the post-COVID-19 period.

Southeast region speeds up major transport projects to relieve congestion

The HCM City – Long Thành – Dầu Giây Expressway is expected to be widened to 10-12 lanes. The Ministry of Transport has urged localities in the southeast region to improve transport infrastructure over the next five years. — Photo courtesy of Đồng Nai Department of Transport

The Ministry of Transport has urged localities in the southeast region to speed up major transport projects by diversifying the sources of capital over the next five years.

Speaking at a recent online meeting, Nguyễn Văn Thể, Minister of Transport, said: “A lack of regional connectivity and overloaded roads at major gateways remains an issue in the region.”

Thể has urged localities in the region to speed up implementation of major projects in the region in the 2021-2025 period, with priority given to the expansion of HCM City – Long Thành – Dầu Giây expressway, and construction of Bến Lức – Long Thành expressway, Biên Hòa – Vũng Tàu expressway, HCM City – Mộc Bài, and Ring Roads 2 and 3.

Other projects include construction of the Long Thành – Thủ Thiêm light railway connecting HCM City to the new Long Thành airport, and the expansion of Provincial Road 25C from HCM City to Đồng Nai Province.

Recently, PM Nguyễn Xuân Phúc approved the Ministry of Transport’s proposal to give HCM City the authority to approve investment decisions for the HCM City-Mộc Bài Expressway.

The 53.5km-long expressway will link Ring Road No 3 in HCM City’s Hóc Môn District with Mộc Bài International Border Gate between Việt Nam and Cambodia in Tây Ninh Province.

The expressway project will be divided into two investment phases. Its total capital is estimated at nearly VNĐ13.6 trillion (US$586.8 million), including cost for site clearance sourced from the State budget.

The first stage will cost VNĐ10.7 trillion (($461.7 million) under a Public-Private Partnership investment.

Construction is expected to be completed by 2025 with at least four lanes, and will be expanded to six or eight lanes by 2045.

The HCM City Department of Transport has asked the Ministry of Planning and Investment to allocate VNĐ3.281 trillion in the 2021-2025 period to widen the HCM City – Long Thành – Dầu Giây Expressway and its surrounding roads.

Trần Văn Thi, director of the Mỹ Thuận Project Management Board, said that expansion of the expressway was urgently needed to ease overloading, especially when the Long Thành international airport opens at the end of 2025.

He said that a 24km section of the expressway, connecting HCM City with Long Thành international airport, should be implemented first.

He also asked the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Planning and Investment to allocate medium-term capital sources for the 2021-2025 period with priority given to the use of state budget or from official development assistance (ODA).

The southeast region, which accounts for 40 per cent of the country’s total budget revenue and 38 per cent GDP, is the focal economic region in Việt Nam, according to Thể.

It includes HCM City and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Bình Dương, Bình Phước, Đồng Nai, and Tây Ninh provinces. However, the region’s transport structure is far below the needs of its economic and social growth potential.

There are only two expressways in the region: the HCM City-Long Thành-Dầu Giây and HCM City-Trung Lương.

Road transport plays a key role in the region, serving about 80 per cent of all freight transport from the provinces in the region to HCM City, causing serious congestion on HCM City-Trung Lương Expressway and National Road 51.

The National Road 22 from HCM City to Tây Ninh Province has also become congested with the number of vehicles increasing by 8 per cent annually, according to the Ministry of Transport.

The Cái Mép – Thị Vải deep-water port in Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province is the international gateway to the region. The port is one of more than 20 ports in the world that can be accessed by container ships of over 200,000 tonnes.

When the first phase of Long Thành international airport in Đồng Nai Province opens slated for 2025, a new hub of the aviation industry will be formed in the region.

Experts said the region should focus on investment in traffic infrastructure to enhance linkages between the port, the international airport and industrial parks in the region to boost socio-economic development.

Mekong Delta provinces step up COVID preventive measures as 2 test positive in Dong Thap

Mekong Delta provinces are tightening preventive measures against COVID-19, especially along land borders and coastal entry points, after Đồng Tháp Province reported two new cases.

On February 28 a 37-year-old man in Hậu Giang Province who worked aboard a barge bringing cargo from Cambodia’s Phnom Penh tested positive and was quarantined immediately.

He had arrived along with another man at the Thường Phước International Sea Port in Đồng Tháp’s Hồng Ngự District on February 26.

Authorities have identified three people who came into close contact with the patient.

Earlier, on February 23, the province’s COVID-19 task force quarantined a Vietnamese woman who had entered illegally from Cambodia with the disease.

Authorities traced 11 people who had been in contact with her.

The chairman of the province People’s Committee, Phạm Thiện Nghĩa, has instructed relevant agencies to tighten control over border and coastal entry points.

They should exchange information with their counterparts in neighbouring countries to make plans to preclude the spread of the disease, he said.

Border guards should set up a hotline for locals to report people coming from COVID-hit areas, he added.

Đoàn Tấn Bửu, People’s Committee vice chairman, said everyone entering from Cambodia have to be quarantined and tested.

The People’s Committee has approved the suspension of festivals and other events and closure of amusement places in Hồng Ngự and Tân Hồng districts and Hồng Ngự city.

Educational establishments will be closed from March 1 to 6.

At the border in the provinces of Long An, An Giang and Kiên Giang, soldiers are on duty on 24 hours a day at temporary checkpoints.

Nguyễn Văn Út, chairman of the Long An Province People’s Committee, has instructed border guards to tighten control, warning that a single person could spread the disease if not quarantined in time.

The province is seeking the private sector’s assistance to provide border guards with all the daily necessities they need, he added.

Lâm Minh Thành, chairman of the Kiên Giang Province People’s Committee, said relevant agencies have been instructed to ensure border guards get good mental and physical care to reassure them.

The province has received 80 soldiers from Đà Nẵng City and Bình Định Province for COVID prevention duty at coastal entry points.

It has 80 checkpoints at land and sea, and 11 boats patrol its coast to prevent COVID-19, smuggling and illegal entrants.

Between February 24 and 26 more than 150 people entered the province through the Hà Tiên City land border, and all were quarantined ad tested.

Border guards and other authorities disinfect goods brought in from Cambodia and transfer them to local vehicles for onward transport.

An Giang Province is doing the same thing.

Its People’s Committee plans to set up several task force teams to patrol the border.

Trần Hồng Quân, vice chairman of the Cà Mau Province People’s Committee, said though the province does not share land borders with other countries, its coastal waters are bordered by other countries, a cause for worry, and has instructed relevant agencies to be on high alert.

On March 1 health officials began to test employees of enterprises who are from other provinces.

All businesses with such employees would be tested, Quân added.

Thu Duc City asked to complete rearrangement of administrative units before mid-March

HCMC Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong has told Thu Duc City and some districts to complete the rearrangement of agencies, units and organizations in the political system before March 16.

Speaking at a meet to deploy the National Assembly Standing Committee’s resolution on establishing Thu Duc City under the jurisdiction of HCMC and rearranging administrative units at the district and commune levels of the city, Phong told the leadership of Thu Duc City to promptly complete half-done tasks so that the city’s apparatus can operate smoothly.

Thu Duc City was also tasked with conducting a general review, mapping out plans for arranging the headquarters of its units and agencies in line with the prevailing regulations and reporting the results to the HCMC government for consideration, Tuoi Tre Online reported.

In addition, Thu Duc City was told to work with the HCMC Department of Planning and Investment and other relevant agencies to draft special development mechanisms for Thu Duc City and submit them for consideration.

The municipal Department of Information and Communications was also assigned to collaborate with the Thu Duc City government to review the information technology (IT) system and propose the construction of IT infrastructure to serve the administrative management for the entire political system.

The work will contribute to fulfilling the target of building a smart city in the coming years.

Incumbent, former directors of Can Tho Health Department prosecuted

Bui Thi Le Phi (L) and Cao Minh Chu – PHOTO: MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY

Charges were also filed against nine leaders of companies appraising the prices of medical equipment, the local media reported.

Chu and four others‑‑ Ho Phuong Quynh, ex-member of the Can Tho Department of Health’s project management board; Nguyen Duy Hung and Nguyen Quoc Viet, ex-employees of BTC Valuation Joint Stock Company and Ta Thuong Xuan, ex-employee of Mediconsult Vietnam Joint Venture Co., Ltd‑‑are under house arrest.

Meanwhile, Phi; Hoang Thi Thuy Nga, former chairwoman of the establishment council of Neo Success Journey Group (NSJ Group); Le Huy Binh, former general director of NSJ Group; Luong Tan Thanh, ex-member of the Can Tho Department of Health’s project management board; Doan Thi No, former head of the project department at LTQ High Technology Co., Ltd and Le Thanh Hung, a salesman of NSJ Group, are in police custody.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, they were allegedly involved in two projects to tender medical equipment at the Can Tho Cardiovascular Hospital and the Can Tho Children’s Hospital. They were found to be allegedly violating regulations on ensuring fairness and transparency in purchasing medical equipment, causing huge losses for the State.

HCM City told to get creative to enhance gender equality

The HCM City Committee for the Advancement of Women and Gender Equality needs to take creative and effective approaches to ensure gender equality in every aspect, a city leader has said.

Võ Văn Hoan, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee, said efforts towards the advancement of women and gender equality need to be promoted with the involvement of all genders and agencies at all levels.

A hotline should be set up for victims of domestic violence and gender inequality, Hoan, who is also head of the HCM City Committee for the Advancement of Women and Gender Equality, said at a meeting to held to review implementation of the 2011–20 National Strategy on Gender Equality last Friday (Feb 26).

Trần Ngọc Sơn, deputy director of the city Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said the city has seven goals for gender equality and the advancement of women in various areas, including economic, employment, education and training, healthcare, political participation, and the fight against human trafficking.

Over the last decade it has issued many policies and allocated funds to implement programmes to fulfil these goals, he said.

It also strived for international co-operation for women’s progress and gender equality with a series of programmes, he said.

But integrating gender concerns in the labour market and economic empowerment continue to face challenges due to a lack of concerted efforts by various agencies and inadequate data from social insurance agencies, he admitted.

Lê Thị Ngọc Dung of the city Department of Home Affairs said gender equality needs to be a highlight of the national human resources development strategy.

State agencies and businesses need to comply with regulations on the ratio of women staff and empower women’s leadership at the workplace, she said.

Women account for more than 51 per cent of the city’s nearly nine million population.

Charity house provides books, clothes for ethnic minorities in Nghệ An

Mong Văn Thành, a seventh-grader of Bắc Lý semi-boarding school for ethnic minorities, browses second-hand books and warm clothes at the charity house in Huồi Tráng 1 Village, Bắc Lý Commune, the central province of Nghệ An.

Thành said he arrived at the charity house in the early morning. He said he did not have enough books to study, so he hoped he could find some that he needed and more warm clothes to wear during the cold days.

Hundreds of other people from the two communes of Bắc Lý and Mỹ Lý also came to the charity house in recent days to search for necessities. Bắc Lý and Mỹ Lý are poor communes of the province’s Kỳ Sơn District where many ethnic minority people live.

The charity house opened on January 10 thanks to the efforts of soldiers of Mỹ Lý Border Guard Station under the provincial Border Guard Command to share difficulties with local poor residents.

Major Hoàng Thế Tài, of the border guard station, said the idea to open the charity house came after the station learned that more than 90 per cent of the local population were on the list of poor households.

Tài said local people mainly earned a living by farming.

The charity house, with the spirit of ‘Whoever needs, come to get it; whoever has enough, come to share it’ opens between Friday and Sunday every week. A person can take two items for free each time.  The items include books, clothes, rice, noodles, eggs and vegetables, he said.

The charity house, covering an area of 100 sq.m, was built by the soldiers over two months, he said.

Cụt Văn May, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee of Bắc Lý Commune, said the commune authorities welcomed the meaningful work of the border guard station and supported the soldier’s efforts.

Major Nguyễn Xuân Sơn, of Mỹ Lý Border Guard Station, who is in charge of running the charity house, said the charity house was very meaningful and a place to spread the spirit of sharing and kindness.

Books and clothes were sent by charity groups from across the country, rice and noodles were donated by soldiers of the station and vegetables were donated by some local residents, he said.

The soldiers of the station often donated instant noodles and rice, he said.

Besides, many kind-hearted people throughout the country have donated to the charity house. For example, Chu Thị Đức, chairwoman of Thiên Minh Đức Group in Vinh City, had donated many goods for the charity house, contributing to improving the lives of ethnic minorities in the two poor communes, he said.

The charity house not only helps local people overcome difficulties in their lives but also serves as a place the soldiers can meet the local people and explain the policies and laws of the Party and the State, he said.

The station plans to organise programmes for local residents to learn, exchange experiences in farming, help each other earn a living, take care of children, family planning and disease prevention, he said.

“All of these things aim to eradicate poverty and improve people’s knowledge in the two communes,” he said.

Đà Nẵng aims to become tourism hub of Viet Nam

Đà Nẵng plans to become a tourism and sea-based economic hub of Việt Nam by 2030 following its adjusted master plan with a vision to 2045.

Under the plan, the central city is projected to become a part of the global supply chain network and a gateway to the East-West Economic Corridor, leaders of Đà Nẵng reported at a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc in Hà Nội on Monday.

The city also hopes to become a special urban area in its long-term vision of becoming an international city. Its population by 2030 is expected to reach 1.79 million and the urban construction area will be about 31,800ha, accounting for more than 32 per cent of its mainland area.

PM Phúc applauded Đà Nẵng authorities’ efforts to work closely with ministries, agencies and to collect public opinions into making the master plan.

The city should aim to become a special city of Việt Nam to bring Đà Nẵng to a higher level in terms of both quality and development scale, the PM said.

The Government leader approved the plan to develop Đà Nẵng into a spearhead tourism city, a sea-based economic centre of Việt Nam, a gateway to the East-West Economic Corridor and a worth-living and safe city.

Regarding waste treatment, PM Phúc said this was an important issue for Đà Nẵng – a city with one of the most beautiful beaches in the region. The city should also have measures to deal with climate change.

He also asked for measures to prevent corruption in adjusting and implementing the master plan and have a proper supervision mechanism.

HCM City invests in six major environmental sanitation projects

The HCM City Urban Environment Company Limited (CITENCO) and HCM City Finance and Investment State-owned Company (HFIC) last week signed a strategic co-operation agreement to implement projects related to urban environmental sanitation during the 2021-2025 period.

Six projects with combined capital of VNĐ6 trillion (US$260.2 million) will be implemented under the agreement.

These include a 20-ha landfill site project at the Phước Hiệp waste treatment complex in Củ Chi District, a project to move a hazardous waste plant from Đông Thạnh commune in Hóc Môn District to Phước Hiệp waste treatment complex, and the second phase of the Đa Phước cemetery project in Bình Chánh District.

A project to build a plant for recycling and treatment of solid waste separated at source, and investments in equipment and vehicles for waste collecting, transportation and treatment services will also be carried out.

Around 9,500 tonnes of domestic solid waste are generated daily in the city, not including industrial waste, according to the city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

The volume of domestic waste has risen by 10 per cent a year.

Only 2,000 tonnes are recycled, while the remaining 75 per cent of the waste is buried, resulting in environmental pollution and lower quality of life for city residents, said Huỳnh Minh Nhựt, director of CITENCO.

As a public utility enterprise under the management of the HCM City People’s Committee, CITENCO is one of the key units to perform tasks in the field of environmental sanitation, Nhựt said at the signing ceremony.

The six projects will be a focus of the company in the coming years to address the city’s sustainable development goals, Nhựt said.

Nguyễn Ngọc Hòa, chairman of HFIC’s Members’ Council, said investment in environmental projects for green growth and sustainable development is a feature of the company’s development orientation.

The cooperation between the two companies for investment in state-of-the-art vehicles, facilities and technology is vital to improve urban environmental sanitation, Hòa said.

Hanoi leader inspects works for SEA Games 31, ASEAN Para Games 11

Secretary of the Hanoi municipal Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue

He made the request while inspecting the city’s training of athletes and preparations for the competitions, as Hanoi will be the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies, and the competition of 25 out of 40 sport events in SEA Games 31 and all activities during ASEAN Para Games 11.

Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports Tran Thi Van Anh said almost all departments, agencies and authorities of Hanoi’s districts and communes have built their own plans on repairing and upgrading existing sport facilities at a total cost of over 597 billion VND (25.9 million USD), which is funded by the city’s budget. The work is expected to be completed before September 30 this year.

Secretary of the Hanoi municipal Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue greets athletes on training (Photo: VNA)

Hue also asked for studying mechanisms and policies to recruit foreign coaches and talented athletes./.

First national forum held on engaging men in promoting gender equality

A national forum on “Engaging Men and Boys in the Promotion of Gender Equality and the Elimination of Gender-based Violence” was held for the first time in Hanoi with 200 delegates participating both online and in person.

The forum was jointly held by UN Women in Vietnam, the Institute for Social Development Studies (ISDS), and the Network for the Prevention of and Response to Gender Violence (GBVNet), with financial support from the Australian Government.

It offered an opportunity for organisations, groups, and men’s clubs in Vietnam to introduce and share lessons, experiences, and challenges in mobilising the participation of men in promoting gender equality as well as preventing and responding to violence against women and children, especially during COVID-19.

Delegates at the forum agreed to establish a network of men and boys participating in the promotion of gender equality and the elimination of gender-based violence in Vietnam.

In his address, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Kamal Malhotra expressed his appreciation of the initiative, stressing that “with the active participation of men and women, I believe the process of achieving the gender equality goals in the Sustainable Development Agenda to 2030 will be accelerated in Vietnam. Because everyone has to promote gender equality, for everyone’s benefit.”

ISDS Deputy Director Tran Kien said that many Vietnamese men have realised that to avoid being left behind in the new era they must participate more in promoting gender equality and sharing opportunities with women.

This lies behind the establishment of a network of men and boys participating in the promotion of gender equality and the elimination of gender-based violence, Kien added.

Elisa Fernandez Saenz, Country Representative of UN Women in Vietnam, spoke highly of the success of men’s clubs in Da Nang and HCM City and welcomed the initiative to set up the network.

She expressed a belief that the network will spread positive attitudes about masculinity, change rigid gender norms, and help men ease the pressure caused by these norms and engage them in activities to promote gender equality and combat gender-based violence in Vietnam./.

Charity house provides books, clothes for ethnic minorities in Nghe An

Mong Van Thanh, a seventh-grader of Bac Ly semi-boarding school for ethnic minorities, browses second-hand books and warm clothes at the charity house in Huoi Trang 1 Village, Bac Ly Commune, the central province of Nghe An.

Thanh said he arrived at the charity house in the early morning. He said he did not have enough books to study, so he hoped he could find some that he needed and more warm clothes to wear during the cold days.

Hundreds of other people from the two communes of Bac Ly and My Ly also came to the charity house in recent days to search for necessities. Bac Ly and My Ly are poor communes of the province’s Ky Son District where many ethnic minority people live.

The charity house opened on January 10 thanks to the efforts of soldiers of the My Ly Border Guard Station under the provincial Border Guard Command to share difficulties with local poor residents.

Major Hoang The Tai, of the border guard station, said the idea to open the charity house came after the station learned that more than 90 percent of the local population were on the list of poor households. Local people mainly earned a living by farming.

The charity house, with the spirit of ‘Whoever needs, come to get it; whoever has enough, come to share it’ opens between Friday and Sunday every week. A person can take two items for free each time. The items include books, clothes, rice, noodles, eggs and vegetables, he said.

The charity house, covering an area of 100 sq.m, was built by the soldiers over two months, he said.

Cut Van May, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Bac Ly Commune, said the commune authorities welcomed the meaningful work of the border guard station and supported the soldier’s efforts.

Major Nguyen Xuan Son, of the My Ly Border Guard Station, who is in charge of running the charity house, said the charity house was very meaningful and a place to spread the spirit of sharing and kindness.

Books and clothes were sent by charity groups from across the country, rice and noodles were donated by soldiers of the station and vegetables were donated by some local residents, he said.

The soldiers of the station often donated instant noodles and rice, he said.

Besides, many kind-hearted people throughout the country have donated to the charity house. For example, Chu Thi Duc, Chairwoman of Thien Minh Duc Group in Vinh City, had donated many goods for the charity house, contributing to improving the lives of ethnic minorities in the two poor communes, he said.

The charity house not only helps local people overcome difficulties in their lives but also serves as a place the soldiers can meet the local people and explain the policies and laws of the Party and the State, he said.

The station plans to organise programmes for local residents to learn, exchange experiences in farming, help each other earn a living, take care of children, family planning and disease prevention, he said.

“All of these things aim to eradicate poverty and improve people’s knowledge in the two communes,” he said./.

HCM City told to get creative to enhance gender equality

The Ho Chi Minh City Committee for the Advancement of Women and Gender Equality needs to take creative and effective approaches to ensure gender equality in every aspect, a city leader has said.

Vo Van Hoan, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said efforts towards the advancement of women and gender equality need to be promoted with the involvement of all genders and agencies at all levels.

A hotline should be set up for victims of domestic violence and gender inequality, Hoan, who is also head of the HCM City Committee for the Advancement of Women and Gender Equality, said at a meeting held to review implementation of the 2011–20 National Strategy on Gender Equality on February 26.

Tran Ngoc Son, deputy director of the city Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said the city has seven goals for gender equality and the advancement of women in various areas, including economic, employment, education and training, healthcare, political participation, and the fight against human trafficking.

Over the last decade it has issued many policies and allocated funds to implement programmes to fulfill these goals, he said.

It also strived for international cooperation for women’s progress and gender equality with a series of programmes, he said.

But integrating gender concerns in the labour market and economic empowerment continue to face challenges due to a lack of concerted efforts by various agencies and inadequate data from social insurance agencies, he admitted.

Le Thi Ngoc Dung of the city Department of Home Affairs said gender equality needs to be a highlight of the national human resources development strategy.

State agencies and businesses need to comply with regulations on the ratio of women staff and empower women’s leadership at the workplace, she said.

Women account for more than 51 percent of the city’s nearly nine million population./.

Progress seen in settlement of wildlife crimes: insider

The detection and settlement of wildlife crimes in Vietnam have recoded strides over the last five years, according to Deputy Director of the Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) Bui Thi Ha.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the World Wildlife Day (March 3), Ha highly valued many organisations’ assistance for authorities in monitoring violations.

However, she noted, there remain a number of challenges to the fight against wildlife crimes.

The discovery of infringements and seizure of prohibited goods are initial successes, but they are only useful when helping with the investigation into trafficking rings and ringleaders, she said.

Ha pointed out that although the legal system on the conservation and sustainable development of wild animals has been gradually completed, wildlife-related violations remain complex in some localities, posing higher extinction risks to many wild species in the nature and negatively affecting ecological balance, human health, and Vietnam’s prestige in the world.

In 2020, ENV recorded 2,907 wildlife-related violation cases, almost doubling the figure in 2019. Among them, there were 1,956 advertising cases, 863 caging cases, and 98 transportation ones.

Monkeys, bears, tigers, elephants, and pangolins are among the species involved in violations, ENV found.

Between 2015 and 2020, the number of uncovered and handled criminal cases related to wildlife rose 44 percent, showing an improvement in the settlement of wildlife crimes since the 2015 Penal Code, revised and supplemented in 2017, took effect on January 1, 2018, Ha said.

She added that since 2005, ENV has operated a free hotline for wild animal protection to receive people’s information about illegal wildlife trafficking, hunting, transport, and storage.

In the time ahead, the organisation will maintain this hotline and boost communications to raise public awareness of the issue and thus, reduce demand for wildlife products. It will also continue working with relevant agencies to help with the perfection of policies and laws related to wildlife, Ha added./.

HCM City accelerates digital transformation in governmental organisations

Ho Chi Minh City plans to accelerate digital transformation in governmental organisations and promote e-government to heighten the efficiency and quality of public service delivery.

This is among the tasks for the city in conducting a plan on enhancing the application of information technology in governmental organisations, promoting e-government and ensuring cybersecurity between 2021 and 2025.

To this end, the southern economic hub will focus on developing digital infrastructure serving governmental offices; creating open databases with easy and friendly access to increase transparency, towards e-government, a digital economy, and a digital society; and ensuring information safety and cybersecurity.

HCM City accelerates digital transformation in governmental organisations hinh anh 2

It will provide more public utility services for people and businesses and improve interaction between them and authorities. It will also encourage innovative ideas and the use of technology in resolving public issues and increasing public satisfaction in public service delivery./.

Phuong Anh named among hot picks of Miss International 2021 by Missosology

As the world’s leading publication on beauty contests, Missosology has named Vietnamese representative Phuong Anh among its second hot picks for the upcoming Miss International 2021 pageant.

Phuong Anh features in second place in the overall list, followed by beauties from Kenya, the Czech Republic, and Mexico.

Valeria Estefanía Franceschi of Panama leads the way in Missology’s second hot picks.

The other contestants making up the Top 10 include the representatives from New Zealand, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Bolivia, and the United States.

Phuong Anh was named as the first runner-up of the Miss Vietnam 2020 pageant. Hailing from Ho Chi Minh City, the 23-year-old beauty stands at 1.77 metres tall with measurements of 87-61-93.

Saigon FC to play group stage of 2021 AFC Cup in Singapore

As one of the nation’s representatives in the 2021 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup, Saigon FC will play their fixtures in the group stage of the competition in Singapore between June 22 and June 28.

The team have been drawn in Group H alongside Lion City Sailors FC of Singapore, Kedah Darul Aman FC of Malaysia, and the winners of an upcoming play-off match.

In addition to hosting games in Group H, Singapore will also host fixtures in Group I, with matches featuring Geylang International FC of Singapore, Terengganu FC of Malaysia, and Kaya–Iloilo of the Philippines.

Elsewhere in the tournament, Hanoi FC are due to play in Group G, although a host country for this group has yet to be identified.

In choosing a host for games in the group stage, the AFC expect that the host country only enforces a four-day isolation period for arrivals. This therefore ruled out Vietnam as a potential host for games due to the country implementing a 14-day quarantine period for arrivals.

Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the AFC Cup group stage will see each group played on a single round-robin basis at centralised venues, as opposed to games being played across two legs at home and away as in previous years.

Hanoi culls 4,979 poultry in an effort to stem bird flu outbreak

Up to 4,979 poultry have been slaughtered across six districts of Hanoi following the detection of a bird flu infection spreading among local chickens.

The outbreaks were initially discovered in February at six households in five districts of the capital, including Gia Lam, Phu Xuyen, Dan Phuong, Phuc Tho, and Ba Vi.

Following this, the Hanoi People’s Committee immediately called on localities to ramp up preventive measures to prevent further bird flu cases. At present, the cause of the outbreaks has largely been put down to changing weather patterns.

Particularly the H5N6 virus is capable of poultry-to-human transmission and is potentially fatal to those who catch it. It spreads through contact with faeces or other bodily fluids from infected poultry.

Since first appearing in Vietnam in 2003, bird flu has killed at least 65 people, giving the country one of the highest fatality rates in the world for the virus. No human deaths have been reported over the last two years, although occasional outbreaks have led to thousands of birds being killed.

Child abuse remains a problem in Vietnam

The Department of Child Affairs will increase awareness-raising around child abuse.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, more than 2,200 children were abused in 2020, a decrease of 209 cases compared to 2019. Of which 1,576 cases involved sexual abuse. In the latest case, a 12-year-old child in Ha Dong District was abused by her own mother and the mother’s boyfriend.

Nguyen Thi Kim Hoa, head of the Department of Child Affairs, said, “Even though the number went down a bit, the situation is still very complicated and even more severe. The violators are of all ages with varied educational backgrounds. Many of them have a close relationship with the children’s family.”

Child abuse is often found in families that lack a parent or do not have time to take care of their children. In some cases, the children were abused in their own home, classroom or by someone close to them. It’s very hard to detect such cases.

“Many victims and other people who know about the abuse didn’t dare to denounce the abusers. Many cases are not noticed by the neighbours,” Hoa said.

According to Hoa, there is a lack of awareness about the law on children. The number of both children and parents who know about children’s rights and abuse are still low. Despite the completed legal corridor, there have been implementation difficulties. In order to deal with the issue, the Department of Child Affairs has increased promotions of the law on children, held training courses, develop a local network on children protection, and persuade families to stop using violence to teach their children.

More inspections will be held and the head of an agency will be punished if they show neglect or violate the law on the prevention and fight against child abuse.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes

The first dose of Covid-19 vaccines will be given to Vietnamese people on March 8, according to the Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long speaks at an online meeting on March 5

During an online meeting on March 5, Long said it would take a while to gather the vaccine due to high demand and short global supply of the vaccine. The vaccines are also being rapidly produced. Reports from the manufacturers and evaluation boards show that they have protective antibodies against the virus for six months to a year.

“We’ll buy vaccines from other countries while keeping pushing for a locally-made vaccine,” Long said. “This is our long-term plan.”

After receiving the certificate for 117,000 doses of Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca on March 3, the ministry will hold a training course about receiving, storing and using the vaccine on March 6 and start giving the vaccine on March 8. The first doses will be given to front line workers at 18 facilities that are treating Covid-19 patients. Afterwards, the people in the outbreak areas in 13 cities and provinces will be vaccinated.

Nguyen Dac Vinh, Deputy Chief of the Office of the Party Central Committee, said even with the vaccine, all preventive measures will still be upheld to limit both community and imported cases.

“The Ministry of Health will be the only agency that manages and distribute the vaccine. Localities will not be allowed to negotiate to buy vaccine with private firms,” Vinh said.

At the meeting, the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control urged to implement the immunisation programme under the vaccine equity principle of the UN. The public will be informed about the programme.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said, “We have been doing well without the vaccine before so in the coming time, everyone must stay vigilant and active.”